


What it Means to be Partners 2

by treya_barton



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M, Souyo Week 2019
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-03-17 22:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18973798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: My pieces for Souyo Week 2019.  The prompts are:Day 1: Soulmates or Music: Pick a Song from the P4 SoundtrackDay 2: Confession or PartnerDay 3: Illness/Injury or Holding HandsDay 4: Hanging out with Nanako or Avoiding DojimaDay 5: Fantasy or ShadowsDay 6: Arcana Swap or Growing Old TogetherDay 7: Meeting In Laws or Relationship Reveal





	1. Your Affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Day 1 of Souyo Week 2019 I choose to pick a song from the P4 soundtrack and picked my favorite which is Your Affection. It had always been my favorite song and when I saw Yosuke dancing to it in DAN and realized it's associated with his character it made me like it all the more.

Yosuke stepped into his room and shut the door, feeling guilty that he was a bit glad that after seeing Yu off at the train station Teddie had returned to the Shadow World to mope over it.  Yosuke wiped dried tears from his eyes before sitting heavily on his bed and staring blankly out his window.  He had wanted privacy in order to work through his emotions and knew he would have had to push them aside if he had to comfort Teddie too.  Outside was such a gorgeous spring day, and he could see some of his neighbors doing their normal day to day activities while the birds and squirrels scampered around outside without a care in the world.  It was such a contrast to his own mood, and he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly over it.

Yosuke knew he was acting a little overly dramatic.  Sure, his best friend had just left on a train back to the city, but it wasn’t like he was gone forever.  They could still call and text and Yu would be back again for visits.  It was just…not going to be the same.  Yosuke had never had the kind of relationship with anyone else he had with Yu and over the course of the year he had attached to him in such a way that his departure was hitting him hard.  Yu was definitely leaving him with a void, and while he had been anticipating it a little, he hadn’t been quite ready for the wave of emotion that had hit the moment the train doors slid to a close.

Yosuke’s eyes trailed over to where his headphones were laying next to his computer keyboard and he almost considered getting up to slide them on, ready to try to brighten his mood with music, but as he considered it his limbs suddenly began to feel heavy, and he found himself staying glued to the bed instead, his eyes turning back to look out the window.  As he continued to listlessly stare out the window, he couldn’t help but wonder what was he going to do without his partner by his side?

A few days later, it was the start of the school year.  As Yosuke rode his bike to school, he began to wonder which classroom he would end up in this year, trying his best not to think about the fact Yu was about to start his own day in a totally different school several hours away.  As he was parking his bike and chaining it to the bike rack, he ran into Daisuke and Kou who both looked happy to see him.  Yosuke found himself falling into an easygoing conversation with them as they headed inside to see what classroom they were going to be assigned to, although deep down he found his heart wasn’t really into it.  He just didn’t have his same enthusiasm, and he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous as he watched Daisuke and Kou walk slightly ahead of him, obviously closer friends with each other since they had grown up together.  It reminded Yosuke that he used to be an outsider, something he had started to forget with Yu there to share the experience.

Yosuke was knocked out of his thoughts by a sudden slap to the back and a loud greeting which caused him to jump.  He turned around to see Chie and Yukiko standing behind him, Yukiko giggling at his annoyed expression while Chie looked pretty proud of herself for startling him.  Although her face seemed to change after she got a good look at him.  “What’s got you looking all gloomy, Yosuke?” she asked, before realization seemed to hit.  “Oh, you miss…”

Before she could finish, Yukiko poked her hard in the side, and Chie immediately trailed off as she winced and began to rub the area she where she had been prodded.  Yukiko had taken one look at Yosuke’s expression which had darkened the moment Chie started to mention his best friend and realized that it probably wasn’t a good thing to bring up.

“Have you seen the class assignments yet, Yosuke?” she asked, immediately switching topics, and Yosuke shook his head.

“Daisuke, Kou, and I were just walking over there,” he admitted, turning to follow Kou and Daisuke who had stopped and was waiting for them.  Chie and Yukiko exchanged looks before following their strangely reticent friend.  After checking the bulletin board where all of the names were listed, they were pleased to see they had all wound up in the same class this year.

“This is like first year all over again,” Daisuke said excitedly, while Yukiko and Chie looked relieved to be in the same class again.  Yosuke, meanwhile, was happy that he was still with his friends but couldn’t get as excited over it as he normally would have.  He kept scanning over the names on the board as if Narukami Yu would suddenly show up before finally letting out a sigh and following the others to their classroom on the third floor.  It felt strange bypassing the second floor, and Yosuke couldn’t help but glance down the hallway as they passed by it on their way further up the stairs, thinking about all the times he had waited outside to meet up with Yu and all the conversations he, Chie, and Yukiko had in the classroom.

Once they entered the room they would be using for third year, they found seats near each other and soon the other four had fallen into an easy conversation while Yosuke instead sat glued to his seat, eyes staring off into the distance as he drifted off into his thoughts, concentration only broken when the teacher arrived and began the start to class.  Yosuke continued on in this way for several days, almost seeming to be going around in a fog, just going through the motions instead of really experiencing anything.  It wasn’t until he was cornered by Chie during lunch one day that he was finally jostled out of the funk he had fallen into.

“Yosuke,” she said in an accusatory tone after ambushing him as he was getting a drink from the vending machine.

Yosuke gave her an odd look as he bent down to pick up his drink.  He opened it up and took a sip while looking at her curiously.  “Chie,” he replied evenly, his mind clearing by the sudden encounter. 

“When’s the last time you talked to Yu?” she asked, and Yosuke’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“We talk every day,” he replied.  It was honestly the highlight of his day and would give him a temporary boost of positive energy before he would fall back into a daze again.  Yosuke suddenly wondered if Yu had noticed that he was acting any different, but figured he was more of his own self with him on the phone so he probably hadn’t.

“Hmmmm,” Chie hummed as her eyes narrowed at him.  She then let out an annoyed huff.  “I swear, you’re like a wilted flower without Yu around,” she sighed.  “You know he wouldn’t want you to be all mopey like this, right?”  She nudged him with her foot, and Yosuke appeared surprised by her words.

“What do you mean, wilted flower?” he asked.

“It’s like you were blooming last year when he’s around and now that he’s gone you’re just not the same,” she replied.  “Like the rest of us are just chopped liver.”

Yosuke felt his cheeks flush, and he desperately wanted to argue back, but he found himself speechless instead.  He couldn’t really deny the fact he had been acting listless without Yu, and he realized Chie was right.  Yu wouldn’t want that for him and would be hurt if he knew Yosuke had been acting that way and hadn’t talked to him about it.  Yosuke reached up and ran his hand through his hair as his mind suddenly jumped into overdrive after basically hibernating the past few days.  It wasn’t _normal_ to feel so down after your best friend left, to feel like there was a void in your life.  Instead it felt more like when…  Yosuke drew in a sharp breath as he considered something he had never thought before.  “Thanks Chie, you’re totally right,” he said in a strangled voice, and now it was her turn to look surprised.

“Did you just say that _I’m_ right?” she asked incredulously.  “Are you actually sick?”

“No,” Yosuke replied distractedly.  “In fact, thanks to you, I think I feel better than I have since Yu left,” he admitted.  He gave Chie a weak smile.  “Thanks for that.”

“Uh, sure, any time,” she replied, looking bewildered as Yosuke finished off his drink and then wandered back to the classroom, humming to himself as he went.  He did look more himself though, with his eyes looking clear and sharp, if not thoughtful.  Chie shrugged her shoulders, figuring her intervention must have been successful even if she didn’t understand it, and she headed off to the cafeteria to grab some food before lunch was over.

That evening, after his normal talk with Yu, Yosuke felt that his theory that afternoon was all but confirmed.  Just the act of hearing Yu’s voice on the phone had set his heart at ease, and he realized that the fluttering feeling in his stomach wasn’t something he felt around other people either.  Yosuke let out a sigh before cursing himself, wondering why it had taken him so long to figure out what those feelings for his best friend actually were.  And now that he knew what they were…Yosuke wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.  He wasn’t worried about confessing – to be honest, even if Yu didn’t share his feelings, Yosuke knew he wouldn’t lose his friendship with him; they had an unbreakable bond and that was something Yosuke was totally sure about.  And he wasn’t entirely sure that Yu didn’t return his feelings anyway.  He just wanted to do it in the right way – in a way that would be special and show how much Yu meant to him and the impact he’d had on his life.  Just the fact Yosuke had been in a daze – hadn’t tried to hide it with a smile like he did when Saki had died – proved how much he had changed because of Yu.  He was more honest about his feelings now, to the point where his friends had been able to tell something was off.

Yosuke sat at his computer and leaned his head against his hand as he tried to think of a solution.  His eyes wandered across his desk before finally falling upon something that sparked an idea in his head.  Right before Yu had left toward the end of the semester, his parents had bought him an electric keyboard, stating it was a gift because toward the end of second year he had started showing an interest in academics since he had decided he wanted to try to get into college in the city.  Yosuke had been excited about the gift, since he had always been interested in music, but while he could read music he had zero experience with making it and so far it had been sitting next to his computer completely untouched.  Yosuke rolled his chair over to it and pressed his fingers on the keys, the plastic making a light thwump sound since the keyboard wasn’t turned on yet.

Yosuke reached over to grab his headphones, plugging them into the keyboard before examining the back and deducing all the other things that he needed to plug into.  Moments later, he had the charger plugged in along with a connection to his computer; his parents had also gotten him a music program the keyboard could connect to in what was a pretty pricey commitment.  Honestly, Yosuke felt a little guilty it had taken him so long to look at it since he knew how expensive both the keyboard and the music program were.  Yosuke rolled back over to his computer and pulled up the program, looking over it in confusion while he waited for the drivers to download for his keyboard.  There were a lot of parts to this music program, and Yosuke found himself staring dumbly at it for several moments, his enthusiasm for his idea dwindling as he began to realize how much work he’d have to put into it.  Yosuke felt overwhelmed, and he was startled when there was a sudden knock on the door.

“You can come in,” he said, surprised as it swung upon to reveal his father.  His dad took one look at what he was doing and a grin suddenly spread across his face.

“You’re finally giving it a try, are you?” he asked, stepping in and looking over Yosuke’s shoulder at his screen.  He glanced at his son’s mixed expression, both guilty and a little frustrated looking, and let out a chuckle.  “You’re going to have to read the manual,” he teased.  “I know how much you hate following instructions.”

Yosuke glowered at him while his dad laughed.  “I also have a book for you downstairs on piano and music theory.  It should help you as you start your journey into composing,” his father said, turning to head back out of the room to grab it.

Yosuke stopped him though.  “What did you come in here for?” he asked curiously.

“Your mother mentioned you’ve been feeling down lately, but it looks like you’ve gotten over it on your own,” his dad replied.  “I think this will be a good project to throw yourself into.”  He said it knowingly, and Yosuke’s cheeks blushed as his dad disappeared downstairs, showing up a few minutes later with a few books that he handed his son.

“Why do you have all of these?” Yosuke asked, looking over them curiously.

“When I was younger, I studied music in my free time,” his dad admitted.  “I think if I could have afforded college that’s what I would have gone in for.  I played instruments here and there when I had access to them, especially in school, but my parents could never afford them for me.”

Yosuke frowned, because he knew the story after that.  His father had given up his dream to go to college so he could support his family instead when his own father got sick.  That had been when he started at Junes as a cashier before working his way up through the company.  Yosuke glanced at the keyboard, suddenly realizing just what it meant for his father to give him that.  He trailed his hands along the keys before looking back up at his father.  “You know, once I figure this thing out, I can probably teach you,” he said nervously, suddenly feeling a lot of pressure now that he knew more about his father’s background.  “It’s never too late to try.”

His dad looked at the keyboard thoughtfully before shaking his head.  “I want you to focus on it,” he replied.  “I think I have an idea on what’s got you suddenly interested in it anyway.”

Yosuke swiveled in his chair until he faced his father straight on.  “Hey, dad?” he said, and his father turned to look at him.  “Thanks.  I know I don’t say it enough but…I know how much you and mom care.  I appreciate it.”

Yosuke’s dad grinned at him before waving and stepping back into the hall, gently closing the door shut behind him, while Yosuke turned in his computer chair and stared back at the screen.  Tomorrow was Sunday which meant he could sleep in, so there was nothing holding him back from throwing himself into the learning process.  Yosuke slid his mouse over until his cursor hovered over the help button on the computer program, and he pulled up the user manual so he could get started.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Yosuke began to realize a few things.  One, was that music was hard.  Although he had an appreciation for music and a natural affinity for picking out the different parts to the songs he listened to, he had never studied it before beyond learning how to read the notes.  As a result, he struggled a lot when he was first reading the manual to the music program and then even more when he started reading the music theory books.  All of the words and concepts gave him a headache at first, but eventually he surprised himself by starting to catch onto it.  At the same time he was studying the music theory, he was also learning how to play the keyboard, and he surprised himself by picking up on that part pretty quickly.  Yosuke never thought he would actually be naturally good at anything, so the fact that he was figuring out how to play the keyboard by watching YouTube videos was surprising. 

He began rambling about the music concepts with his friends at school and with Yu on the phone, and to his relief they all seemed to take it in stride.  Chie did tease him a little for it, but it seemed everyone at school was glad to see him back in good spirits again.  Yu, on the other hand, seemed fascinated by Yosuke’s interest, and he didn’t seem to have any problem in the topic dominating their conversations.  Any time Yosuke realized what he was doing he would stop and try to apologize, and every time Yu would reassure him that he was interested in the conversation and wanted to hear more, and honestly it reminded Yosuke of just one more reason he had fallen for his partner. 

It took a few months to learn the concepts and pick up the skills necessary to try his hand at composing, but finally Yosuke felt like he was ready to get started.  He already had lyrics he was playing with, centered around the words Chie had used to jolt him out of his heavy mood at the beginning of the school year.  Yosuke had adjusted wilted to withered flowers and was building a narrative around how withered flowers bloomed in tears, thinking back to how his relationship with Yu had really evolved in the moments they broke down their barriers and became emotional with each other.  Yosuke really felt like he had turned into his best self in those moments, and it kind of echoed with Chie’s comment about how he had bloomed when Yu was around.  Now he was trying his hand at creating music to go along with the lyrics, and while it was certainly difficult he found himself having fun as he went through the process.  He would come up with a beat for a certain instrument to layer into the music and he would consider whether it seemed to match him or Yu or some aspect of their relationship, and he would tweak it until it felt right.  Then he would have to make sure it went along with the other parts he had already created.  It was a long but rewarding process as the song slowly began to come together.

The last decision Yosuke had to make was whether or not he would actually _sing_ the lyrics for Yu.  Composing the music and writing the lyrics had been difficult enough, and he didn’t want to somehow ruin the song with his own vocals.  On top of that, the idea of actually singing was incredibly embarrassing to Yosuke and it somehow made the fact this song was meant to be a confession more real to him than the other parts had been.  It was already summer and getting closer to when Yu would be visiting, and Yosuke knew he had to make a decision soon so he could finalize the song and prepare to present it to his best friend when he arrived.  Yosuke found himself torn over what choice to make, for while he was worried his voice would somehow ruin the song, he also thought it would be more meaningful it he went along with it.  The other piece to the puzzle was the fact he would need to borrow a mic to ensure the sound quality was decent enough, and he could only think of one person who would have the quality that he needed. 

Which is why the next day, Yosuke found himself nervously standing in front of the tofu shop after school, at war with himself on whether or not to enter.  Entering meant telling Rise why he wanted the microphone, and Yosuke felt uncomfortable revealing why since he knew about Rise’s obvious feelings for their leader.  But he also knew he couldn’t hide it because doing so felt wrong and like he would be taking advantage of Rise in a way.  Yosuke’s decision was made for him when his thoughts were interrupted as Rise curiously asked, “How long are you going to stand there, Yosuke-sempai?”  Yosuke flinched before turning to face the girl he had just been thinking about, unable to hide the guilty expression from his face.

“Oh, hey Rise-chan,” he replied nervously.  “How long have you been standing there?”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder while looking at him suspiciously.  “Long enough,” she replied, eyeing him closely.  She tilted her head thoughtfully while adding, “Are you here to see me?”

Yosuke took a deep breath and released it.  “Yeah, I need your help actually,” he admitted, embarrassment obvious in the way he kept shifting from foot to foot while avoiding her eyes.

Rise’s interest was definitely piqued.  “Really, sempai?” she asked.  “Well, there’s no use just standing outside.  Let’s talk,” she said, linking arms with him and dragging him inside before he could protest.  She waved cheerfully at her grandmother who watched them both curiously as they headed upstairs where the living quarters were located.  Rise prepared some tea for them and they both settled in at the table.  Yosuke was quiet for several moments as he gathered his thoughts together, and Rise remained patient in order to give him time and not rush him.

“How’s the idol stuff been going?” Yosuke started with, and Rise rolled her eyes.

“Sempai, I know that’s not what you’re here to talk about,” she lightly chided.  “But, it’s been going really well so far.  Thanks.”  She gave him an encouraging smile.  Rise would travel back and forth between Inaba and the city, taking short breaks home so she could attend a few classes and do some schoolwork before heading back out to the city for work.  Eventually she knew she would have to focus on her career full time again, but for now she was enjoying getting to continue being a student part of the time as she worked her way back into her career.  It’s why she was home since soon she would be doing a summer tour.

Yosuke tapped his fingers on his cup of tea before finally broaching the subject.  “So, I’ve been working on something,” he started hesitantly, and Rise’s eyes lit up in interest.  She refrained from jumping ahead and asking questions, even though she was obviously curious.  “I’ve…actually been working on a song,” he admitted.

“You’ve been writing a song?” Rise asked in surprise.  “I mean, I know you’ve been studying music, but that’s a big deal!”  She leaned forward in excitement.  “You should play it for me!  Is that what you wanted my help with?”

Yosuke, whose face was completely flushed due to embarrassment, shook his head.  “I…actually…”  He felt incredibly nervous, because he hadn’t told anyone his feelings for Yu yet, and he was also afraid of upsetting his friend in the process.  Rise slowly slid back into her seat, picking up on his discomfort.

She seemed to think for a moment, before gently saying, “You don’t have to be afraid to tell me anything, sempai.”

Yosuke’s eyes shot up at her in surprise, and upon seeing the encouraging expression her face, he began to relax.  “So, I’m actually writing the song for someone,” he started.  “And I want to make sure he’s the one who hears it first.” She didn’t appear to be surprised by his revelation, and he didn’t know whether to feel relieved or not.

“So you finally figured it out, huh?” she asked, a small smile gracing her face.

Yosuke nodded.  “I did,” he said.  “And, honestly, it feels kind of wrong going to you for help with this.”

Rise shook her head.  “I do like Yu-sempai,” she replied.  “He’s one of the few people who from the beginning just saw me as Rise and never brought Risette into it.  But, I’ve known all along my feelings were one sided and I’m ok with that.  In fact, while it’s thoughtful of you to be so considerate, I am actually pretty happy you came to me for help,” she grinned.  “I know how happy you make him so I’m excited to get the chance to help you both out.”

Yosuke was speechless by her words, and also hopeful for what they could mean for him and Yu.  “That’s really mature of you,” he admitted, and Rise laughed.

“Just don’t let my fans know,” she winked, and Yosuke chuckled.  “So, if you didn’t need my help with composing the song, what did you need?”

Yosuke’s anxiety jumped again.  “Well…my parents got me a keyboard and a music program that I was using to compose the song. But I don’t have a microphone and…”

Rise immediately squealed.  “You’re going to sing for it too?” she asked excitedly.  “Wait one moment,” she added before rushing into what had to be her room.  Moments later she returned with a studio quality microphone, something Yosuke was hoping she would have with her.  He had been banking on her having a home studio so she could work while in Inaba. She set it in front of him before sitting in the chair next to him.  “I can’t believe sempai is going to sing a song,” she gushed.  “That’s so romantic!”

Yosuke blushed.  “I mean, I’m still worried I’ll sound like crap,” he admitted, and Rise shook her head.

“All that matters is that you express yourself.  Trust me, Yu-sempai will love it,” she smiled.  “Plus, I’ve heard you at karaoke.  You’re pretty good,” she winked.  Yosuke hid his head on the table at her words while she giggled at him. “I really want to hear your song, but I know you want sempai to hear it first,” she pouted.  “Maybe we can work on one together someday though!”

“Ah, there’s no way I’m good enough for that,” Yosuke protested.  “This is literally my first song and I was kind of teaching myself as I went.”

Rise grinned at him knowingly.  “Yes, but sempai, do you know how many people could just teach themselves music?” she asked.  “Plus, every song you work on is a learning experience.  I still think it could be fun.  I look forward to working with you one day – you owe me, don’t you think?”  Yosuke looked at the microphone and knew she had a point.

“Just…let me get some more practice in first, ok?” he asked nervously and she grinned.

“I look forward to it,” she agreed.  “Now shoo, you don’t have much time until Yu-sempai gets here.”  Yosuke gratefully picked up the microphone, hugging it to his chest and promising Rise he would take good care of it and bring it back as soon as he was done.  Rise waved him off, saying she didn’t really need it right now anyway and to borrow it for as long as he needed.  As Yosuke left the tofu shop, he couldn’t help but feel as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders, and he began to feel more confident about his plans.

When Yosuke got back home, he was relieved to see that both of his parents were out.  His dad was still at work and his mom must have been running errands.  Teddie was on shift today too so Yosuke didn’t have to worry about him showing up wanting attention either.  He had walked in on Yosuke composing a few times and was very curious about the process, and if Yosuke didn’t know any better it seemed like the bear had grown a little more respect for him.  Yosuke chuckled to himself as he set up the microphone and slid on his headphones, giving the song a listen while he pulled up the document where he had been working on his lyrics.  The song was an upbeat tempo, because while their relationship had been built upon emotional moments, they also lifted each other up and at least in Yosuke’s case he always felt happiest with his partner.  Yosuke hummed the beat as he listened, finding it surreal that he was humming along to a song he himself had created.  His fingers lightly tapped on his desk as he read over his lyrics while mentally preparing himself to try to sing the song. 

Yosuke was honestly nervous.  Even with the pep talk from Rise, somehow the thought of adding his voice to the song seemed so intimate, and he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at the idea.  As the music came to an end, Yosuke’s heart was beating as he set the program to record so he could start singing.  Yosuke took a deep breath and as he hit record and the song started to play in his headphones his voice came out as a high pitched squeak, causing him to immediately scramble to stop the program before he rested his head on the desk in shame.  ‘This is a dumb idea,’ he thought, knowing Yu would be touched just at the idea he had written a song for him.

To his surprise, he felt a tug deep inside that had been pretty quiet since the events of second year.  Yosuke blinked and lifted his head up, his hand reaching up to rest on his heart as he felt the familiar warmth that meant Susano-o was trying to encourage him.  He was actually surprised that Susano-o hadn’t spoken up while he had been listless over Yu, although his Persona may have been giving him some time to figure it out himself before intervening.  So the fact he was speaking up now spoke volumes.  “Alright, I get it,” Yosuke whispered, grinning when he felt the warmth pulse in acknowledgement before Susano-o quieted down, still hovering in the background for support but giving him space to get started.

This time when Yosuke set himself up to sing, he had a look of determination in his eyes, and he thought back to all the things he and Yu had been through together in order to get himself into the right mental space for how he wanted the vocals to sound.  Once he felt prepared, he started the song and hit record, and this time everything went smoothly, his voice coming out naturally as he focused on their relationship and how Yu made him feel.  Once Yosuke was finished, he eagerly played the song back, and he couldn’t help but be stunned over the fact it actually sounded pretty decent.  It wasn’t as polished as a truly studio quality album, but it didn’t sound bad for his first song.  There were a few tweaks he wanted to do for the vocals now that he was listening to it back with the music, but he felt like it was going to be something he could be proud to show Yu when he showed up.  For the rest of the evening, Yosuke continued to work on the song, tweaking vocals or a few sections in the music until he felt satisfied with it.  He totally forgot to think about his parents, so when he headed downstairs for dinner and saw them both grinning at him, he almost escaped back upstairs, realizing they had probably come home at some point and heard him.

“I’m sure Yu-kun is going to love it,” his mom said encouragingly, and Yosuke covered his face.

“I can’t believe you heard me,” he whined.

His dad, on the other hand, looked pretty impressed.  “Hopefully we’ll be able to hear it someday,” he commented.  “My son, the songwriter.”  He had a huge smile on his face, and Yosuke peeked over his hands, somehow feeling a little better due to his reaction.

“Maybe,” he said.  “I mean, it’s pretty rough…”

“It’s your first song.  And you’ve put a lot of heart into it,” his mom lightly chided him.  “I’m sure it’s wonderful.”

Yosuke lightly smiled.  “Teddie didn’t come home with you?” he asked, realizing the blond was absent from the table.

“He and the rest of your friends have been running around planning a surprise party for Yu’s arrival,” his dad explained.  “They’ve been in and out of Junes buying decorations.”

“And they didn’t tell me?” Yosuke asked, feeling a bit hurt.

His parents exchanged looks.  “I think they wanted to give you time to work on your song,” his mom explained.  “They’re supporting you in their own way.”

“Also, as far as I can tell, the party is planned for the day after his arrival,” his dad added.  “I think they wanted to give you time to present your song first.”

Yosuke blushed at his father’s words, realizing that everyone seemed to have figured out his plans.  It was a wonder someone hadn’t let it slip to Yu yet.  He quickly sent a message to Chie to confirm if that was indeed their plans, and her reply of, “Of course it is, idiot,” quickly cleared things up.  Yosuke hadn’t really thought about when he would present the song to Yu, since he had been so focused on actually creating it, and it hit him that Yu would be arriving in mere days, and he would have to be ready with his confession.  Yosuke began to panic for a moment, until it suddenly hit him.  He looked up at his parents and shyly asked, “Hey, the day Yu gets here…”

“We were planning on taking a trip to Okina,” his mom said with a wink, and Yosuke gave her a thankful smile.

“I guess I have to get ready for when he gets here,” Yosuke said, almost to himself, and his parents both gave him encouraging nods before they returned to their dinner. 

It seemed like the next two days flew by and it was soon time for Yu to arrive.  Apparently, Dojima and Nanako were in on the surprise as well, because Yosuke found himself standing at the train platform alone as he waited for Yu’s train.  He was beginning to wonder how he’d ever face Yu’s uncle after this and was trying his best to keep his mind off of what was to come.  All too soon Yosuke spotted the train in the distance, and his heart began to race in anticipation as it pulled into the station.  His eyes roamed along the cars until he spotted his partner, who appeared to be doing the same and immediately smiled upon seeing him, although he looked a bit confused by the lack of anyone else.

Once the train came to a stop, Yu stepped out while carrying a bag on his shoulder and dragging a suitcase.  Yosuke rushed forward and quickly grabbed the bag from him, slinging it over his shoulder while Yu continued to glance around the relatively empty platform.  He was obviously processing through a few theories, and Yosuke couldn’t help but smile, unable to hide the adoring expression on his face as he watched his best friend.  Yu’s eyes trained back to him, and Yosuke was surprised to see a slight blush cross his face as he carefully averted his eyes.  “Are you all planning a surprise for me?” he asked hesitantly, and Yosuke couldn’t help but snicker.

“If we were, it’s not like I would be telling you,” he teased.  “I just wanted to have you to myself the first day is all.”  Yosuke tried to say it as nonchalantly as possible, but he had to wince at the suggestive way it sounded.

Yu raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.  “So, if my uncle isn’t here, how am I getting home?” Yu asked, and Yosuke brightened.

“I came in a taxi,” he replied.  “Follow me!”

Fortunately, since trains were so punctual in Japan, Yosuke had been able to time arriving perfectly so the taxi he had taken to the station would still be waiting for them.  He didn’t think it safe to try to ride Yu and his luggage on his bike.  Once the taxi driver helped them put Yu’s bags in the trunk, they both got into the car and their driver started on their way.  Yosuke began asking Yu about his trip and how his school year was going so far, and Yu fell into an easy conversation with him, distracted enough not to realize which direction they were heading until they were almost to Yosuke’s house.  “So there _is_ a surprise,” Yu said when he looked out the window and realized where they were at, and Yosuke pretended not to hear him in order to keep him guessing.

Yu shook his head at his partner’s actions as Yosuke paid the taxi driver and grabbed his bags from the trunk.  “My parents are out for the day so I figured we’d have a chance to hang out and catch up here without distraction,” Yosuke explained as they headed into his house.  He set down Yu’s bags before they both slid off their shoes and stepped into house slippers.  Yu looked around the house, already appearing to relax as he took in the familiar room.

“It has been awhile since I’ve been by,” Yu said, almost to himself.  Due to the craziness that happened in Tokyo for Golden Week, Yu hadn’t been back to Inaba since he had left before third year.  It was just hitting Yosuke how natural it felt to have Yu back in his home, and as he brought him up to his room he felt a strange mix of ease having his partner by his side again and nervousness for what he was about to do.  Once they stepped into the room, Yosuke motioned for Yu to sit on the bed while he walked over to his computer and sat down.

Yu appeared to be able to tell something was off but didn’t comment, instead waiting patiently as he always did for Yosuke to proceed.  Yosuke turned in his chair to face Yu, struggling for a moment to find the right words.

“You’re right.  I do have a surprise for you,” he said.  “I…want to play something for you.  And then I’ll explain.  Is that ok?”

Yu nodded, appearing curious.  “Of course.  Do you have a new song to share with me?” he asked.  It was common for Yosuke to share new songs and artists he had discovered with Yu over the course of second year, which was an activity that they both seemed to enjoy.

“Something like that,” Yosuke replied.  “Well, here goes nothing…”  He adjusted the sound on his speakers before hitting play on the song, leaning back in his chair and squeezing his eyes shut as the music began to play.  Moments later as his vocals picked up, he heard a soft gasp come from Yu’s direction, but nothing else to indicate how he felt.  Yosuke cracked one eye open to glance over at Yu, before both eyes flew open in surprise.

Yu was frozen where he sat on the bed, leaning forward, eyes closed in concentration.  His eyebrows were furrowed together and his face was slack in surprise, although he also appeared tense with his hands gripping his knees.  His normally stoic face was flushed, and after about a minute into the song his eyes slowly opened before raising up to meet Yosuke’s.  His heart immediately skipped a beat at the intent look in Yu’s eyes, and when Yu stood up to walk closer to him, Yosuke wasn’t sure how to react as he leaned over his shoulder to look at the computer program playing the song.  Once it came to a close, Yu softly asked, “Did you make this?” causing a shiver to run up Yosuke’s spine since Yu’s mouth was so close to his ear due to the angle he was leaning.

“Yes,” Yosuke replied, surprised his voice remained steady.  He was so sure it would have cracked even though it was only one word.

“What…” Yu started to ask before stopping.  He turned to face Yosuke.  “You said you would explain,” he finally managed to get out, and Yosuke watched as a rare flood of emotions crossed over his face.  He looked hopeful, yet scared, and seemed to be anticipating something although Yosuke wasn’t sure if it was to be elated or crushed by what he was about to say.  Yosuke sincerely hoped Yu wanted to hear it, especially after all the indications from the others around him these past few days.

“I wrote and composed this song.  For you.  I guess, for us,” Yosuke started to hesitantly explain.  “I…uh…”  Yu stood waiting, although his usual still, patient aura seemed to be agitated.  Yosuke rarely saw Yu like this and it was throwing him off.  “I…”

Yu suddenly kneeled down so he could look Yosuke more directly in the eyes.  “It’s ok, Yosuke.  Just tell me,” he said, trying his best to tamper down his own nervousness to give Yosuke the boost of courage he needed.  Just as always, it worked.

“The past few months.  I’ve been working on a song.  Something that I thought really captured our relationship and how much you mean to me,” Yosuke replied, more earnest after Yu’s reaction. 

“What did you name it?” Yu asked curiously, and Yosuke blushed.

“Your Affection,” he said, embarrassed by the title.  “I mean, I thought it was kind of fitting because most people wouldn’t realize it but you’re a pretty affectionate guy who shows it in all the little things you do for people…”

“For you,” Yu replied straightforwardly, and Yosuke felt like he was going to die of embarrassment in his chair.

“Yeah, for me,” he admitted.  He suddenly last track of where he had wanted to go with this, to really let Yu understand why he had written the song.  Somehow, it was easier to pour those feelings into a song than into the words he was now tripping up over.  To his surprise, Yu began to chuckle.  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

Yu grinned at him.  “I know what the message of our song is,” he replied, standing up and reaching out tentatively for Yosuke’s hand.  Yosuke looked at it for a moment before readily grasping it, allowing Yu to pull him up out of the chair and into his arms.  To Yosuke’s surprise, he then reached over to hit play on the song again before resting his head on Yosuke’s shoulder and gently swaying back and forth to it.  Yosuke numbly followed along, not quite getting his partner’s reaction but enjoying the feeling of being so close to him.  Even though he was confused, it felt right, and he was starting to feel hopeful about the outcome of his confession.

“What’s the message then?” Yosuke asked, his head also resting on Yu’s shoulder.  Yu’s arms tightened around Yosuke’s shoulders and waist where he was holding him.

“That we’re perfect for each other,” Yu replied simply.  Yosuke pondered over his words, for while they were right, they were also not directly addressing the topic they both appeared to be dancing around.

“Well, we already knew that, didn’t we?” he asked, pulling away as the song came to a close.  “I wanted to express something pretty specific,” he added, before taking a deep breath.  “Yu, I like you.  When you left, it was like I had this void I couldn’t fill, and it took me awhile to realize why.”  He stared at Yu searchingly, feeling tense as he waited for his reaction.

“I know.  I felt the same way,” Yu replied.  He reached forward to place a hand on Yosuke’s shoulder.  “I missed you.  Every day.  Being here with you, hearing this song…” he trailed off.  “I like you too.”  Yosuke grinned at him, feeling a sudden burst of energy at his words.  He threw his arms around Yu who nearly stumbled back but managed to keep them both upright somehow, both of them laughing as they released the anxiety they had been holding onto leading up to Yosuke’s confession.  “I never thought I’d hear you say that,” Yu said as he held Yosuke close.

“Honestly, partner, I didn’t either,” Yosuke replied, and Yu chuckled.  “But I’m glad I did.  And I’m glad you liked my song.”

“I had no idea that’s what you were doing this whole time,” Yu confessed, and Yosuke looked pretty pleased at his reply.

“I’m sorry that the song I wrote about us was my first one.  It’s pretty unpolished,” Yosuke admitted, and Yu shook his head.

“It’s perfect.  I’m going to listen to it often,” he replied straightforwardly, and Yosuke sighed.

“I bet you will,” he replied.  “But I’m going to keep working at it and write you something even better.” 

Yu looked amused by his enthusiasm but sagely replied, “I look forward to it,” instead.  He then tilted his head.  “So, was everyone else…?”

“Yes, they were all in on it,” Yosuke confessed.  “That was the surprise.”  He didn’t mention the actual surprise party for Yu tomorrow, since he didn’t want all of their planning to go to waste.  Yu didn’t look entirely convinced, but he was willing to let it drop. 

“So what are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?” he asked, and Yosuke winced.

“Honestly, I had no idea how this confession was going to go, so I didn’t really have any,” he admitted.  Yu’s eyes wandered around the room until they alighted upon the window.

“Want to go for a walk about town?  I haven’t been by in so long, it would be nice to see how everyone’s doing,” he said.

Yosuke nodded.  “Of course,” he said, immediately leaping into action, ready to wander around town with Yu as they often did second year.  As he stepped to move past Yu, however, the other young man grabbed his arm in order to stop him.

“One thing before we go,” Yu said, and when Yosuke turned to face him, Yu leaned forward in order to quickly press his lips against Yosuke’s.  Yosuke froze, barely able to register the soft feeling of Yu’s lips as they brushed across his and the lingering heat and momentary tingling sensation they left in their wake.  Yu then breezed by him, heading out the door and calling, “You coming?” causing Yosuke to curse at him as he rushed to catch up, Yu unable to hide his pleased smile as they headed down the stairs.

“What was that?” Yosuke demanded as they moved their way to the front door to put on their shoes.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Yu replied, and when he tried to brush past him to get to his shoes it was his turn to be stopped by Yosuke.

“You know exactly what I mean,” Yosuke replied.  “You should at least do it properly!”  Before Yu could reply, Yosuke added, “Like this,” before pulling Yu closer to him and leaning up to initiate the kiss this time.  Unlike the first time which had been quick, barely giving either of them time to register what Yu had done, this time Yosuke made sure to press their lips together more firmly so they could get a feel for it.  It was a bit awkward at first since neither of them had any experience, but it still felt pleasant and new and exciting, especially when Yu suddenly leaned into Yosuke, causing the brunet to pull Yu against his chest, surprised by his partner’s sudden vulnerability. 

He pulled away to check on him, finding it cute when Yu’s mouth trailed after his, obviously wanting to continue.  “You alright?” Yosuke asked.  Yu’s face looked flushed and his eyes a bit dazed, but he appeared to snap out of it at Yosuke’s concerned tone.

“You’re right, I should have done it properly,” he deadpanned, and Yosuke laughed.

“Well, as long as you know better now,” he replied.  “While I would love to continue exploring this…new development.  I think right now you could probably use some fresh air.”  Yu pouted but didn’t argue, and they were soon out the door. 

To Yu’s surprise, Yosuke offered his hand as they headed toward the main street, not quite meeting his eyes out of embarrassment but still holding it out just the same.  Yu grinned before taking it gratefully, and soon Yosuke had him pulled into another lively conversation as they explored Inaba again.  Yu couldn’t help but think back to their song, realizing that the title was actually representative of both of them.  Their relationship was built on mutual affection for each other, which was why when they were together they were more at ease than when they had been apart.  He squeezed Yosuke’s hand, causing the brunet to glance at him with a questioning look in his eyes, but Yu merely shook his head before smiling at him.  Yosuke seemed to understand and squeezed his hand back before returning to the conversation. 

Yosuke had called himself a withered flower that bloomed through their tears, but honestly all Yu could see was the bright young man next to him.  From the beginning he had thought of Yosuke as someone who was blooming with more talent and skill than he gave himself credit for, and now he seemed to be even more inspiring as he grew more comfortable with himself.  Yu couldn’t help but look forward to how their relationship would evolve going forward, and to what new songs Yosuke would be writing about them in the future.


	2. Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Day 2 of Souyo Week I choose the prompt Partners~

When Yosuke first called Yu partner, it seemed so out of the blue that the teen didn’t know what to make of it.  He hadn’t really given it a thought – Yosuke had some weird ideas sometimes and had probably just watched a cop show or something – until the second time Yosuke called him that.  His friend seemed nervous that time, since it was obviously not a mistake, but Yu didn’t mind it or call him out on it so it soon became a recurring thing.  Yu figured Yosuke used the term since they were doing their own investigation about the murders and supernatural mystery surrounding Inaba, and he thought it was fitting Yosuke would consider them like partners since they were fast becoming best friends and Yu considered Yosuke his second in command.  Therefore, at first Yu just accepted it, although he never used the term himself, still finding it a bit odd even as he slowly grew used to it.

As the year continued on, Yu’s feelings about the affectionate name began to adjust.  He almost felt a sense of pride when he heard Yosuke use it around other people, especially in situations where Yosuke was introducing him.  Even though it often caused an odd look from people who didn’t know them well yet, it touched Yu that out of all of their friends he was the only one considered special enough to get a different name from Yosuke.  He still didn’t use it back, but honestly Yosuke didn’t seem to mind or expect it, and by now Yu was as used to hearing it as his own name.

It may have been for this very reason that after Yu thought he had accepted the name, he one day began to feel a bit annoyed by it.  Yosuke had said it offhand while they were eating lunch together on the roof, and it had suddenly made Yu wonder when the last time was that he had heard Yosuke call out his actual name.  His brows furrowed in thought, and he wondered at his sudden flash of irritation.  He had just started to enjoy hearing the nickname, so he couldn’t fathom why he would suddenly find it annoying.  He certainly didn’t find Yosuke himself annoying and honestly quite enjoyed his company.  He was always pleased when Yosuke approached him after class, saying he was off that afternoon and wanting to know if he wanted to hang out.  In fact, out of all of his friends, Yosuke was the only one he couldn’t refuse when he would call on the weekend or ask to join him for lunch.

Yu pondered over this revelation, deciding to let it go for now while figuring maybe he was just tired and a little irritable as a result.  It wasn’t until the nagging feeling, almost like an itch under his skin, continued that he began to realize it was a problem.  Again, he wasn’t irritated with Yosuke directly, just at the name partner that he continued to use with him.  Unfortunately, his feelings about the name were beginning to be picked up by the brunet who looked hurt and began to give him a bit of space, probably thinking he had been the one annoying Yu instead.  This made things worse, and Yu’s mood continued to darken as he felt at loss as his best friend pulled away from him, leaving him feeling listless and restless without him.  It was around this time that other things began to occupy his mind as his cousin was kidnapped and thrown into the Shadow World, causing his attention to become solely focused on saving Nanako and somehow piecing his life together that had suddenly begun to fall apart.

It wasn’t until that night at the hospital, when they realized Nanako was going to pull through after they managed to rescue her, and Yosuke stayed behind with Yu to support him as he finally let his façade that he had been desperately clinging to crumble, that Yu suddenly understood why his feelings about the word had changed.  As he cried on Yosuke’s shoulder, Yosuke quietly standing there without judgement, even after Yu had essentially pushed him away for awhile, it hit him.  He was in love with his best friend.  Yu’s heart felt warm at the realization, even if he was pretty sure Yosuke wouldn’t return those feelings in quite the same way.  It caused him to realize that the reason he had started to become irritated by the term partner was because in a way it both indicated a closeness, yet also a kind of distance from Yosuke.  Yosuke always used it to indicate how much Yu meant to him, but it was always in a friendly way.  Not in the way Yu apparently had been wanting subconsciously.

After that, Yu grew closer to Yosuke again, even closer than they had been before.  They had a deep discussion at the riverbank, where Yosuke confessed the feelings of jealousy and inadequacy he had toward Yu.  At first it had stung, but Yu began to realize as Yosuke asked him to punch him, that Yosuke only had those feelings and the awareness that it was wrong because of how much he respected and cared about him.  It is why when Yu swung the first punch he didn’t hold back.  He couldn’t hold back his feelings, not now, and after they had scuffled about in the snow, collapsing on the riverbank and appreciating the cold powder against their heated backs from their exertion, Yu realized something.  Yosuke’s use of partner all along had been more of a goal than anything else.  He wanted to be on even ground with Yu – had just confessed it in fact – so the moment he had probably first let the term slip had been the moment Yosuke had seriously begun to put more thought into their relationship.  The realization made Yu feel as warm as the moment he realized his own feelings for Yosuke, and he turned his head to look at the other teen.

“Hey, partner?” he asked, and he watched as Yosuke’s eyes blinked in surprise before he quickly turned to look at him.  His lip was bleeding from Yu’s first punch and he definitely looked like his cheek was going to bruise, but Yu couldn’t help but think he was still as bright and attractive as always.

“Did you just…” Yosuke asked, before trailing off.  “I mean, yeah, partner?”

Yu grinned at him before raising his fist up, and Yosuke grinned back before bumping them together.  “From this day forward, we’re equals,” Yu clarified, and Yosuke nodded.

“After that punch you threw, I would sure hope so,” he replied, and Yu chuckled.  Yu knew there was a possibility their relationship may never move beyond where it was here and now, but for now he was just content to finally appreciate what it meant to be partners.


	3. Holding Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For day three of Souyo Week I choose the prompt holding hands.

Today was the day.  Yosuke had recently confessed his feelings to Yu, causing the normally stoic young man to shoot him such a look of surprise that Yosuke _almost_ backtracked the whole thing.  Fortunately, just as he had been about to reach the breaking point where his mind would turn off and his mouth would just start blathering anything to get him out of the intensely embarrassing and potentially heartbreaking situation, Yu had seemed to notice the change in his expression and had quickly followed up with his own.  It had taken Yosuke a moment to process what he had said, and he had been about to blabber out his retraction anyway until Yu pulled him into a hug and completely short circuited his brain.  It had taken him a few minutes to fully realize and appreciate what had just happened, and Yu had teased him mercilessly about it.  In retrospect, why did Yosuke like the guy again?

Yosuke shook his head, before narrowing his eyes and his fist in determination.  Today was his first date with Yu, and Yosuke was bound and determined to cross off the first important step in any relationship – hand holding.  In fact…  Yosuke gave Yu a sneaky glance, before looking down to see that his hand wasn’t looped into his pocket for a change and was readily available for him to grab.  Yosuke looked away and began to surreptitiously reach for it when there was the sudden beep of Yu’s generic message tone, and his hand was suddenly moving away as he went to retrieve his phone from his pocket.  Yosuke cursed his luck as Yu scrolled through his message, inwardly pouting but doing his best not to let his irritation show since the whole point of this venture was to allow Yu to have a good time.

“What’s up?” Yosuke asked curiously, and Yu glanced at him.

“One of my classmates was asking a question about our assignment,” he replied before sliding his phone back into his pocket.  Then his hand followed, and Yu characteristically looped his thumb into his pocket, causing Yosuke to glower at it when Yu wasn’t looking.  “Sorry for the distraction.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine dude,” Yosuke quickly replied.  It wasn’t like he was jealous of the person messaging him – how big of an ass would that make him?  If anything he was more upset that the phone had ruined his perfect opportunity.  “You’re really going to like the place I picked out for lunch though,” he said, quickly changing subjects and giving Yu a wide grin.  He had been saving this particular place to take Yu to for awhile, since it was highly recommended by friends of theirs and neither of them had been before.

Yu grinned at him, before leaning a little closer.  “No doubt due to present company,” he murmured in his ear, causing Yosuke to flush before batting him away.  Yu’s eyes twinkled at him in amusement, but the rest of his face remained deadpan as always. 

It wasn’t too long until they arrived at the restaurant, a clean, modern looking space that had an upscale vibe and menu.  The food was supposed to be amazing according to everyone he knew who had been there, so Yosuke was looking forward to seeing Yu’s reaction.  Yu enjoyed trying different foods and taking the experience with him to experiment in the kitchen, although he had outright told Yosuke he enjoyed seeing people eat the food he made more than eating it himself.  Yosuke knew that this food should definitely inspire his boyfriend – _his boyfriend_ – and he couldn’t wait to see the subtle expressions cross his face when he gave it a try.  Furthermore…  Yosuke glanced at Yu’s hands which were currently fiddling with the napkin he was about to place in his lap.  This should give Yosuke his next opportunity to reach his goal.

They chatted with each other as they perused the menu, Yu eventually picking out the fresh catch of the day while Yosuke went with the wagyu steak.  While they waited for their salads, they both tried out the fresh baked bread and continued to chat, Yosuke eagle eyeing any opportunity to surreptitiously go for Yu’s hand.  Unfortunately, between eating the bread and sipping at his water, Yu kept placing his hands in his lap or folded close to him at the table, which wasn’t really giving him a good opportunity.  Yu did at one point in the conversation lean forward in interest as Yosuke was telling him about his music theory class, with his hand finally resting at a good angle for Yosuke to grab, but unfortunately just as he was going to make his move their food arrived.

Yosuke let out a frustrated sigh, causing Yu to give him an odd look while Yosuke smiled awkwardly and waved it off.  “Sorry, was just thinking about something,” he said.  He then waited for Yu to take his first bite, and when he saw the slight widening of his eyes and noticed he was taking his time to chew and enjoy the flavors, Yosuke knew he had picked the right place.  He grinned widely before going to cut a piece of his steak, not even bothering to send a taunting picture to Chie in his rush to give it a try.  The moment the steak hit his tongue and almost seemed to melt without him even having to chew, Yosuke couldn’t help but let out a small moan of pleasure, causing Yu to lift his head up to watch him intently.

“That good, huh?” Yu teased, and Yosuke didn’t even have the presence of mind to play it off.

“You have no idea,” he said with a pleased sigh, causing Yu to tilt his head while shooting him a fond look.  Yosuke blushed before trying to return his attention to his steak, suddenly wishing he had his phone ready to get a shot of Yu’s cute smile.  It was rare that the gray haired man looked that at ease, although Yosuke had to admit it was much more common with him.

Yosuke got so caught up in the delicious meal and Yu’s pleasant company, that he forgot to try again before dinner was over, and before he realized it he had paid for lunch and they were out the door and on their way to the next part of the date.  Yosuke silently cursed to himself, although he figured it was worth it to see Yu thoroughly enjoy his meal.  ‘I’ll just have to try harder at the next place,’ he thought.

The next place happened to be Inokashira Park where they both planned to walk around, enjoying the scenery before going to an outdoor comedy show that was being held there that evening.  Yosuke knew that this was honestly the best place to initiate hand holding with the inherent romantic atmosphere of the popular dating spot.  The tree lined park surrounded a pond that was a popular spot for paddle boat rides, in spite of the rumor that if a couple went on one they would soon break up.  Yosuke definitely felt uneasy about the idea of one day risking it – while he was pretty sure it was an urban legend that the goddess Benzaiten would cause couples to break up, he had his fill of urban legends and goddesses to last a lifetime and didn’t want to risk it.  Walking through the park hand and hand with his partner sounded like a _much_ better idea.

If only Yu would make it a little easier on him.  They had finally arrived and were making their way along one of the walking paths, discussing how next spring they would definitely have to have a hanami date there when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.  Yu had his thumb looped back into his pocket again, and Yosuke kept glancing at it distractedly as they made their way toward the pavilion where the show was going to be held.  Finally, there was an opening as Yu pulled his hand away from his pocket…and just as Yosuke began to dart forward to grab it, Yu used it to flick his bangs out of his eyes that were beginning to stick to his forehead due to how hot and humid it was outside.  Yosuke nearly tumbled over, causing Yu to catch him, and while it felt nice to be held in Yu’s protective grasp and lean against his steady warmth for a moment, Yosuke couldn’t help but also feel a bit like a failure.  How hard was it to hold someone’s hand?

Yosuke felt his mood sour a little, although he tried his best to hide it, and when Yu asked if everything was alright he just shot him a grin before continuing their walk.  Yosuke shoved his hands in his pockets, thoroughly giving up on the whole endeavor and resolving that it just wasn’t his day.  Yu, meanwhile, shot him one of his calculating looks, obviously picking up on his sudden change in mood even if he was trying to play it off.  As they continued forward, making their way over to the crowd starting to form around the pavilion and finding a comfortable place to sit down in the grass, Yu began to think through the events of the day, trying to pick up on any slight detail he had missed that could have triggered Yosuke’s mood.  Yosuke had seemed a bit distracted throughout their date, now that he thought about it, and he began to mentally work his way through each odd behavior in order to come up with a hypothesis. 

First was his odd reaction when Yu received the text earlier, and then there was the staring Yosuke did a poor job of hiding during lunch.  Yu figured the staring had been because Yosuke wanted to see him enjoy the meal, but now that he thought about it Yosuke had started staring well before the waiter had brought them their food.  Then there was that awkward moment just now when Yosuke had toppled forward…  Yu suddenly blinked, as a thought popped into his head.  Yosuke hadn’t been staring at his face, he realized.  In fact, he had been staring at…

Yu glanced down, noticing that Yosuke’s hands were still shoved in his pocket as he sat cross legged next to him.  Yosuke first put his hands in his pockets after he nearly fell, while earlier in the day his hands had been down at his side instead of in their normal crossed position across his chest.  And he had definitely been staring at Yu’s hands all afternoon.  Yu nodded to himself, certain that his hypothesis was probably correct.  He glanced at Yosuke before casually leaning on his hand and stretching out, making sure to shift to where it should catch Yosuke’s attention and be easily accessible.  He stared forward but watched Yosuke out of the corner of his eye as his boyfriend turned his head and then looked down, staring at his suddenly available hand for several long moments.  He watched Yosuke’s expression change from pouting to reluctantly hopeful as he was obviously at war over himself over what to do next.  He shot a furtive glance at Yu who pretended to be invested as the comedy troupe began to set up for the show and then slowly began to reach his hand out until it covered Yu’s.  Yu smiled at Yosuke’s warm touch and the way the soft brush of his fingers against his skin left a tingling sensation that sent a small shiver up his spine.  Yu turned his hand around so his palm was up, allowing Yosuke to adjust his own so they could slide their fingers together, interlacing them while they both continued to stare forward.  Yu finally glanced at him, melting at the bright grin that had crossed Yosuke’s face over how happy he was to finally have completed his goal.

Yu tugged Yosuke’s clasped hand forward so he could brush his lips over his fingers, causing Yosuke’s blush to deepen while his eyes darted around the crowd in a momentary panic before he regained control of himself.  He instead shot Yu a small smile before scooting closer so they could sit cuddled up together, their clasped hands resting between them.  “Feeling any better?” Yu asked, and Yosuke nudged him in reply.

“You probably think I’m silly,” he sighed, already realizing Yu had figured him out.

Yu shook his head.  “Why would I think it’s silly that my boyfriend wants to hold my hand?” he murmured in reply.  The comedy show had started so he didn’t want to be rude.

Yosuke looked pleased at his reply and squeezed his hand before focusing on the show.  Yu glanced at him, watching for a moment the way his eyes followed the performers as they moved about the pavilion, his sharp mind able to keep up with the rapid talking and quick gags they kept performing.  He then relaxed and leaned over so he could rest his head on Yosuke’s shoulder as they continued to watch.  Yosuke tensed in surprise for a moment before shifting his body to make it a little more comfortable for the both of them, resting his own head against Yu’s in the process.  They spent a fun evening watching the spirited performance and basking in the warmth of each other’s company, hands tightly clasped for the whole show and their trip home.


	4. Avoiding Dojima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is my very belated Day 4 for Souyo Week. I wanted to write on the topic Avoiding Dojima and ended up completely changing my original idea to something tied into The Surprise Trip universe. I hope everyone enjoys ^^

Yosuke, the moment he had confessed to Yu, already knew he wanted to one day marry him.  Sure, they couldn’t technically get married, but they could still have a nice ceremony, which his best friend certainly deserved, and they could easily move somewhere that offered a partnership certificate which sounded perfect for them anyway.  The only reason why Yosuke hadn’t jumped the gun in that moment was he knew it was definitely rushing things and he didn’t want to pressure Yu into anything.  Besides, he felt like Yu deserved to go through the dating process after waiting for Yosuke to figure out his feelings for so long. 

After Yu had surprised Yosuke with his birthday trip to Hokkaido, which had somehow managed to bring them even closer together, Yosuke felt like the time was finally right.  He had already picked out a ring and he even knew where he wanted to propose, having found the perfect place recently when he had traveled to see a music festival for work.  Yosuke had even gone to see Yu’s parents, which had been nerve-wracking since he had only really met them once.  Since Yu worked such long hours, Yosuke was easily able to swing by to see his parents one afternoon without him knowing, and he had been relieved when their reaction to the idea was overall pretty positive.  They trusted their son’s judgement and knew that Yosuke made him happy. 

Their blessing had definitely been a boost to Yosuke’s confidence, but it wasn’t enough to completely bolster him for the next, most critical step in his proposal plan – asking Dojima.  Yu’s uncle was incredibly important to him, and Yosuke knew that getting Dojima’s blessing would be even more meaningful than his parent’s.  The problem was, Inaba was much farther away, and Yosuke would have to come up with a solid reason why he had to go visit.  Then he would have to decide if he wanted to try to make it a solo trip or bring along Yu and then find a way to pull aside his uncle without Yu knowing.  It would be tough, especially since Yu had the same instincts and observational skills as his uncle and always seemed to know when Yosuke was up to something. 

The other problem was Yosuke wasn’t entirely sure what Dojima thought of him and Yu being together.  Dojima’s initial impressions of Yosuke hadn’t been that great to begin with, and although Yu had assured him on many occasions that Dojima appreciated Yosuke’s support to Yu during the events of November all those years ago and how he was always so kind to Nanako, Yosuke couldn’t shake the idea that Dojima still didn’t like him.  Then, since Yosuke hadn’t confessed until they had both been in college and in the city, he hadn’t had many opportunities to gauge the man’s opinion of their relationship either.  They were always so busy and didn’t get many opportunities to take the long trip to Inaba, especially together.

Yosuke bit his lip as he pondered his situation.  He knew that part of the problem was he simply didn’t want to talk to Yu’s uncle since he still intimidated him, and he didn’t want to find out that maybe Dojima didn’t support their relationship.  The idea terrified him and it was hindering him from deciding a course of action.  Yosuke glanced over at his boyfriend who was currently using a feather toy to play with their cat, and he felt a little of his anxiety fade away due to how happy and relaxed he looked.  Seeing Yu wind down after work was just a reminder that Yosuke wanted to continue to see him like this every day, and it helped strengthen his resolve.  “Hey, when’s the last time we’ve been to Inaba?” he asked, hoping that he didn’t seem too transparent.

Yu considered his words for a moment.  “Golden Week last year,” he replied.  Yosuke could tell that the answer bothered him; they really hadn’t been to visit in awhile.  In fact, Yosuke’s parents had gotten into the habit of coming to see them, often with Teddie in tow. 

“Wow that was…much longer than I expected,” Yosuke honestly admitted.  They used to go every Golden Week and New Years at the very least, but this year Yosuke had to work on New Years due to a special program the radio station was doing, and they had spent Golden Week at home because Yu had gotten sick right before the holiday.

“Is that what’s got you so deep in thought?” Yu asked curiously, a small smile on his lips.  Yosuke shook his head – of course his boyfriend had noticed.

“I was thinking, maybe we could take a Friday off and go see them for a weekend,” he recommended.  “We could stay with my parents, although they gave Ted my old room…”

“We could stay with my uncle,” Yu recommended, and Yosuke tried his best not to show how nervous he was at the idea.  Honestly, he had a much better chance pulling Dojima aside if they were at his house, but he felt like he needed to work up his courage and wouldn’t be able to if they were under the same roof.  Yosuke was so caught up in his own head, that he didn’t realize he hadn’t given a reply until Yu placed a hand on his thigh.  Yosuke jumped, before looking down in embarrassment at his boyfriend from where he was perched next to him on the floor.  “My uncle won’t mind, Yosuke,” Yu said, giving his leg an encouraging squeeze.  “We could always see if the Amagi Inn has a room available, though…”

Yosuke took a deep breath.  “No, we can definitely stay at your uncle’s.  I know it’ll really make Nanako happy,” he replied.  Yu stood up and leaned over to place a kiss on Yosuke’s head, before he pulled out his phone to give his uncle a call in order to tell him their plans.  Yosuke checked with one of his coworkers to see if they would fill in for him before messaging his boss to let him know what was going on.  Yu similarly called his own boss, letting him know he’ll do some work on the long train ride to Inaba so he wouldn’t fall behind.  Fortunately, Yu didn’t have any meetings with clients to reschedule so he was good to go.  Yosuke let his parents know as well, and they planned on having a family dinner at Aiya’s on Friday night when they got there.  Yu headed to the kitchen to get started on dinner, and Yosuke could tell from the way he carried himself that he was in a great mood over their planned trip that weekend.  Yosuke did his best to share the enthusiasm when deep down inside his stomach was queasy over what he was planning to do.  He would have to keep an eye out for every opportunity and make sure he didn’t screw up.

When they arrived on Friday, they were met by Yosuke’s mom who was happy to see them.  Nanako had after school activities to go to while Dojima , Mr. Hanamura, and Teddie were still at work.  Yosuke’s mom kept up a lively conversation with them as she gave them a ride to the Dojima’s, asking how things had been and what had prompted the surprise visit?  Yosuke talked to his parents at least once a week, but there were some things that were better explained in person, and she was definitely taking advantage of their moment together.  After a refreshing chat, Mrs. Hanamura dropped them off at the Dojima’s, letting them know that she was looking forward to dinner later.

Yu had a key to the house still and let them inside, both of them struck by how the house both looked familiar, yet different since they had last visited.  The layout was the same, but new academic and extra-curricular achievements by Nanako graced the walls along with some of her art from her art classes.  She had shown an affinity for it, and even Yu and Yosuke had one of her pieces proudly hanging in their apartment.  It was a stark reminder of the passage of time and how Nanako was even more grown up each time they returned home.  Yu brought them upstairs to his old room where Dojima had already laid out a futon large enough for two, and Yosuke was unsurprised to see that the room looked just as it did when Yu had lived there before, minus having the things he had accumulated during his year there.  While Yosuke’s room had changed once he went to college, Yu’s seemed always ready for them to come and visit.  Yosuke felt guilty since usually they hadn’t taken advantage of the unspoken offer due to his nervousness around Yu’s uncle.  As they set down their stuff, Yu immediately plopped onto the bed, for he had worked the entire train ride and felt drained.  “Feel up to a nap?” he asked Yosuke hopefully.  Yu enjoyed cuddling with Yosuke, stating it always helped him relax, as long as Yosuke was up for it and able to stay still.  The problem was he often couldn’t do it for long, and he knew after that long train ride he certainly wouldn’t be able to now.  Especially with how anxious he was about his plan that weekend.

“I would only keep you up, I’m afraid,” Yosuke said, kneeling down to press a kiss to Yu’s forehead.  Yu tried to tug him down next to him anyway, and Yosuke laughed.  “Seriously, dude, you look like you actually need rest, and I’m too wound up right now.”  He untangled himself from Yu’s arms before tucking him in.  “I’ll make it up to you tonight though,” he winked, and Yu seemed satisfied with his answer.  He very quickly passed out afterward, and Yosuke was able quietly step out of the room without feeling guilty over his decision.  He headed downstairs and checked his phone for the time, before trying to decide what he wanted to do in order to kill time.  ‘Maybe I’ll surprise Ted with a visit,’ he decided, before stepping outside and using Yu’s keys to lock the door behind him. 

As Yosuke headed to Junes, he mused over his plans to pull Dojima aside for a talk.  He could try to push Yu and Nanako into a project together and then maybe pull Dojima into the kitchen for a beer or some coffee.  Or maybe when Nanako went up to her room and Yu was in the shower Yosuke could draw him into a conversation while Dojima watched the evening news…  Just the thought made Yosuke’s anxiety bubble up, and he quickly shook his head.  Planning it ahead of time was just making him nervous, so he would just have to be organic about it and play it by ear, he decided.  By that point, Yosuke had finally arrived at Junes, and he headed inside while wondering where Teddie would be working that day.  He had finally moved on from mascot duties and was now a shift supervisor, which meant he rotated out between the different departments as needed.

Yosuke wandered down the aisles, keeping a sharp eye out for the bear and trying his best not to get too caught up on his complicated feelings he had every time he stepped foot inside the store.  He was so caught up in his thoughts, in fact, that when he turned to check out the produce area, he almost missed the fact that _Dojima was there_.  Yosuke noticed Yu’s uncle at the very last minute and quickly ducked back behind the aisle, his heart pounding from the shock.  ‘What is he doing here?’ Yosuke wondered, for he had definitely not expected to see him here.  Yosuke peered his head around the shelf he was hiding behind, and grimaced when he realized Dojima was actually talking to Teddie, asking him questions about what ingredients to pick out for curry.  Yosuke realized that Dojima and Nanako were probably going to cook for them tomorrow night, and that Dojima had taken it upon himself to get the ingredients together since Nanako was busy at school.  ‘Did he take off work early for this?’ Yosuke wondered, and he couldn’t help but find it sweet that he would go out of his way to do something like that. 

Yosuke waited for Dojima to finish picking out his ingredients, knowing that Junes was definitely not the place he wanted to have the proposal conversation with Yu’s uncle, and he waited until the man had headed off toward checkout before making his way over to say hello to Teddie.  To his surprise, Teddie didn’t seem shocked to see him.  “Why were you hiding in the juice aisle?” Teddie asked curiously, tilting his head at him as he walked up.

“You noticed?  I mean, did Yu’s uncle notice?” Yosuke asked hurriedly, his face bright red.  He really hadn’t thought they had spotted him.

Teddie shrugged.  “He was beary focused on getting the right ingredients for dinner.  You’re going to get to eat Nanako’s curry, I’m beary jealous!” Teddie whined as he replied, yanking on Yosuke’s arm.  Although years had passed, Teddie had never lost his childlike tendencies.

Yosuke was too distracted over the fact that _Dojima may have seen him hiding_ to put much effort into comforting the blond.  ‘What am I going to do?’ he wondered, hoping that if Dojima had in fact seen him he wouldn’t say something to Yu.  Then things would get even more complicated.

“Earth to Yosuke, helloooo,” Teddie said loudly into Yosuke’s ear, capturing his attention.  He was pouting at him even more, and Yosuke let out a sigh.

“Yeah, Ted?” he asked.

“Are you ok?” Teddie asked.  “Why were you hiding from Dojima-san anyway?”

“It’s…complicated,” Yosuke said.  “Please don’t tell Yu.  Or his uncle.  Or…just don’t tell anyone…”

Teddie continued to pout, giving Yosuke his best puppy dog eyes.  “And you won’t even tell moi why?” he asked dramatically, and Yosuke winced.  He debated the pros and the cons before deciding if Teddie knew why it had to be a secret he would be more likely not to let something slip.

“Ok, ok.  You’ve gotta keep quiet though, Ted, got it?” he asked solemnly.  Teddie nodded, before leaning in closer, obviously excited to be sharing something with his older brother figure.

“So…I’m going to be proposing soon to Yu,” Yosuke started, quickly shushing Teddie when he let out a loud gasp at the news and looked about ready to burst from excitement.  “Hold up, and let me finish!  There’s a tradition in some countries that a groom asks the bride’s parents for permission.  And while Yu and I are both technically grooms and it’s more of a Western tradition, I thought since I’m the one proposing I’d do the same thing.  I already asked his parents but…” Yosuke trailed off, looking nervous even at wording it aloud.

Teddie was able to understand, however.  “You’re going to ask Dojima-san this weekend!” he excitedly whispered, and Yosuke nodded.

“Yeah, I am.  And I wasn’t expecting to just see him at Junes so it took me by surprise,” he admitted.  “You can’t tell anyone though, Ted.  I want it to be a surprise for Yu.”

Teddie nodded seriously, before saluting at him.  “This bear’s lips are sealed!” he replied, before asking curiously, “Why are you nervous to ask Dojima-san?”

“I just…don’t know what he thinks.  About me and Yu.  And, really, about me,” Yosuke shrugged.  “I mean, he makes me so happy, but some days I can’t help but wonder if he couldn’t do better.  Deserve better.”  Yosuke’s brows furrowed and he looked down as his old guilty fears gnawed away at his heart.  So, he didn’t see it coming when Teddie thwacked him on his back.  Yosuke stumbled forward, barely stopping himself from falling completely to the ground, and turned to glare at Teddie.  He stopped, however, when he saw the hurt expression on Teddie’s face and the way he was frowning accusingly at him.

“Sensei looks happiest when he’s with you,” Teddie replied heatedly, while crossing his arms.  Ironically, it looked very much like how Yosuke or his father looked when they were being defensive, and Yosuke realized some of his habits had rubbed off on him.  “I know Dojima-san sees it too.  So stop being stupid!”

Yosuke didn’t know what to say at first, and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  Teddie’s eyes began to tear up with how adamant he was over his feelings, and it was that reaction that finally had Yosuke moving again.  He let out a sigh before holding his arms open.  “Come here, Ted,” he said, and Teddie moved forward before letting Yosuke hug him comfortingly.  “Thank you for saying that.  I really appreciate it,” he said, and Teddie clung to him in reply.

“Yosuke says the dumbest things,” he grumbled, and Yosuke couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I know,” he replied.  “But I have you and our friends to sort me out, right?”

Teddie nodded, before pulling away.  “Your secret’s safe with me.  Don’t worry Yosuke, Dojima-san likes you.  Just ask and get it over with.”  He beamed at him, and Yosuke couldn’t help but somehow feel better about that weekend. 

“You know what Ted, I’m starting to think you may be right.  I’ll see you tonight at dinner,” Yosuke replied, giving him a wave and quickly heading back to the Dojima’s house.  When he arrived, he noticed Dojima’s car outside the house and knew he had come home after grabbing groceries. 

Yosuke braced himself before unlocking the door and stepping inside, quietly announcing himself in case Yu was still sleeping.  “Welcome home,” Dojima said quietly from where he was sitting in the living room while looking through the newspaper.  It appeared he had already put away groceries.

“Yu still asleep?” Yosuke asked after he had taken off his shoes, and Dojima nodded. 

“Nanako won’t be home for another half-hour so I figured it was better to let him continue to rest,” he replied.  “Where were you?” he asked, and Yosuke had to wonder again if Dojima had seen him.  Dojima was usually pretty direct, but he would sometimes try to give you a chance to answer honestly, just as Yu liked to do.

“I went for a walk,” Yosuke replied.  “Ended up going to visit Ted at work.”  He sat down on the couch with Dojima, although he carefully sat at the far side to give them some distance.

“Hmmm, funny I didn’t see you there,” Dojima replied.  “I was just there getting groceries.”  He was looking at Yosuke out of the corner of his eye while pretending to look at the newspaper, and Yosuke winced.  Dojima had totally seen him.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously again, trying to come up with the best way to approach the subject.  “Well…” he started.  His anxiety was bubbling up again, even after Teddie’s pep talk.

To his surprise, Dojima closed the newspaper and carefully folded it and set it on the coffee table.  He then turned to face Yosuke.  “Is everything ok?” he asked, catching the brunet by surprise.  “While we certainly appreciate the sudden visit, it was unexpected.  I was wondering if something was going on.”  Yosuke could tell part of the reason for the question was his odd behavior at the grocery store, but Dojima was carefully speaking around that for the sake of his nerves.

“Yeah, everything is ok,” Yosuke sincerely replied.  Dojima’s show of concern was causing him to feel better about Teddie’s reassuring words earlier.  “We realized it had been awhile since we last visited, and the decision was made kind of on a whim.  At least on Yu’s part.  I…kind of had an ulterior motive,” he admitted.  He now turned to face Dojima, before taking a steadying breath.  “Dojima-san, there is something I wanted to ask you.”  Dojima tilted his head curiously, but waited patiently for Yosuke to speak.  “Recently, I made a trip to speak to Yu’s parents as well, but honestly your opinion means just as much to us as theirs does,” he added, and understanding suddenly crossed Dojima’s face.  His eyes widened slightly, and he gave Yosuke an encouraging nod. 

“I am planning on proposing to Yu very soon, and before I did I wanted to make sure I had your blessing first,” Yosuke finally said, surprised that he somehow managed to keep his voice steady although his chest felt unbearably tight.  His hands were clenched where they rested on his lap, and he was doing his best to keep his eyes trained on Dojima in order to show how sincere he was, even though everything within him wanted to run away.  To his relief, Dojima gave him a wide smile before clapping his hand on his shoulder.

“You’re finally asking, huh?” he asked, and Yosuke felt all of his tension drain out of him.  “Did you get a ring and everything?”

Yosuke nodded.  The ring was safely tucked away in his drawer back home.  “You probably have something special planned for him,” Dojima said with a chuckle.  “He’s a good kid – he definitely deserves it.”

“Yeah,” Yosuke said, his throat dry.  He hadn’t expected this to go so easy and was still waiting for things to suddenly change.  “I’ve got it all planned out.  I’m going to surprise him with a trip and I plan on asking next to a really pretty river.  I think he’ll like that.”

“Yu does love to fish,” Dojima agreed.  “Well, you have my blessing.  You’ve always looked out for my nephew – I know you’ll make him happy.”

Yosuke was stunned by Dojima’s reaction, and he suddenly felt his eyes begin to well up.  “Really?” he asked, having to blink back tears before cursing at himself as he began to rub at his eyes.

Dojima looked out of his element over Yosuke’s reaction, and instead of answering he stood up before heading toward the kitchen.  “Would you like coffee?” he asked, and Yosuke nodded before following him in there, sitting at the table as Dojima got a pot of coffee brewing.  “Do you know what the most nerve-wracking moment of my life was?” Dojima asked, and Yosuke shook his head.  “It was when I proposed to Chisato.  I took her to see the plum blossoms because they were her favorite flower, and while we were enjoying our meal she had made for the hanami, I proposed.” 

Yosuke’s eyes widened, and he wondered if he had ever told Yu that story.  It was certainly the most open Dojima had ever been with him.  Yosuke couldn’t remember ever really having a one on one conversation with Yu’s uncle before.  Dojima turned to look at him.  “You remind me a lot of her.  She always put others first and made sure Nanako and I were always taken care of.  I wish I had done more for her – been a better husband to her while she was still alive.”  Dojima let out a heavy sigh, before pouring both of them a cup of coffee.  He brought over cream and sugar for Yosuke to prepare it how he liked, while he drank his own black.  “I can tell you do the same to Yu.”

Yosuke blushed at the compliment.  “Honestly…I was really nervous to ask you.  I couldn’t help but remember the first time we met was when I had gotten your nephew thrown in jail…”

Dojima rolled his eyes.  “I certainly had reservations about you at first, but you were young back then and boys can be impulsive,” he replied.  “I got into my own fair share of trouble as a boy.  You really proved yourself and stood by Yu’s side when we were going through our struggles back then.  I could tell that you boys were close, although I was a bit surprised when Yu told me you had started dating.”  Dojima shrugged.  “It never mattered to me though.  I just want him to be happy.”

Yosuke sipped at his coffee, mulling over Dojima’s words.  “That makes two of us then,” he replied, and Dojima gave him a wry grin.  They continued to chat afterward, Dojima sharing some stories about cases he was working on while Yosuke listened attentively and asked questions, until Nanako came home, appearing surprised to see Yosuke and Dojima in the kitchen together. 

“Where’s Yu-nii?” she asked curiously, and Yosuke pointed upstairs. 

“He’s taking a nap.  He’ll probably appreciate being woken up by his favorite cousin though,” Yosuke replied cheerily, before accepting a hug from the young woman.

“I hope my dad wasn’t giving you a hard time,” she said, sending her father a teasing grin who pretended to look hurt.

“What are you trying to say?” he asked, while Yosuke chuckled.

“He wasn’t,” he promised, and Nanako winked before heading upstairs to see Yu.  She had grown into a cheerful and confident teenager, and Yosuke couldn’t help but feel proud of her as if she were his own little sister.  Although, he supposed, if he and Yu got married she essentially would be.  Dojima and Yosuke finished their coffee, and Yosuke rinsed out the coffee pot and mugs as Yu and Nanako headed downstairs, Yu looking a little groggy but happy to see his uncle and cousin.

“Were you both drinking coffee?” he asked quizzically, giving both Yosuke and Dojima a curious look, and both of them shrugged in reply.

“Ready to go eat?” Yosuke asked, wrapping his arm around Yu and pressing a kiss to his cheek, smiling inwardly over how cute Yu always looked when he was sleepy.  He would definitely have to cuddle with him tonight.

“Yeah,” Yu yawned.  “I’m surprised you let me sleep so long.”  Yosuke merely grinned at him, and they all got ready to head out to Aiya’s, excited to spend time with the Hanamura’s since it had been awhile since both families had gotten together.  As they headed over, Yu and Yosuke walking hand in hand while Dojima and Nanako walked ahead while she told her father about her day, Yosuke realized that soon both families would be tied together even more closely, and he couldn’t help but smile fondly to himself at the thought.


End file.
